The present disclosure relates generally to children's strollers and, more specifically, to a double stroller having two seats and a convertible frame assembly that positions the seats in either a side-by-side or tandem (front-to-back) arrangement.
Often times caregivers of children need to transport two children in a stroller or baby carriage. There are carriage devices designed for infants and toddlers which are designed to carry two children. Movement of the double side-by-side stroller from place to place can be difficult because of the width of the wheelbase. In addition, if the stroller is configured in a tandem arrangement the child in the back seat is not seated in a position to observe the environment over the child in the front seat. The problem with existing double strollers is the inability to easily fit through a multiplicity of different sized doors or narrow confines and the inability to easily change from a side-by-side to a front-to-back arrangement.
There are many examples of carriages in the industry. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 1,707,186 discloses a double carriage having extendable axles for supporting the carriages and an extendable handle for connection with the carriage when the axle is in the extended position. The problem with this design is that the seats are in a fixed position and the extendable axles only allow for a wider wheelbase but not a narrower wheelbase. Therefore there is no ability to navigate through narrow spaces.
U.K. Patent No. 2,152,447 describes a pushchair with a reclinable backrest, characterized by the fact that it comprises a frame, a seat having the backrest supported on a first structure connected to the frame, a base, two side walls supported on a second structure hinged to the first structure in such a manner as to adjust the angle of the latter in relation to the second structure, and a body for each of the side walls for connecting the backrest to the respective side wall. The problem with this device is that it is a single unit stroller and possesses no capacity for carrying more than one infant.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,938 discloses a device for connecting two baby strollers together consisting of a pair of bracket units spaced apart and clamped between frames of the baby strollers so that one person can operate the strollers simultaneously for transporting two babies therein. The problem with this design is that it is cumbersome to store and carry when it is not attached and it is time-consuming to attach the device to two separate strollers. It is also difficult to attach because existing strollers are not manufactured in a uniform size and shape. An additional problem is that the only configuration possible with this connecting device is a side-by-side design.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,656 discloses a stroller that has a series of seats at cut-out areas in a tray supported on columns secured to a wheeled floor panel. This wagon type configuration allows for additional seats to be added by hitching another wagon to the end of the device. Although the configuration allows the occupants of the device to be seated front-to-back it has no capacity to be folded and stored away, nor does it have the capacity allow the occupants to be seated side-by-side.
Another coupler to join two strollers is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,121 which describes a snap release connector device for engaging and disengaging two strollers. The snap release connector can rotate at any angle which allows one person to operate the two strolling devices simultaneously. Again the problem with this design is that it is cumbersome to store and carry when it is not attached and it is time-consuming to attach the device to two separate strollers.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,087 discloses a front-to-back stroller having a non-detachable seat and a detachable seat. When the detachable seat is removed the non-detachable seat uses the space to allow occupants to be seated in different reclining positions. The problem with this design is that the only configuration possible is a front-to-back stroller design.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,591 a frame structure for a baby stroller is disclosed that is constructed to include a seat for a first child and a rear seat frame bar that supports a footplate which allows a second child to stand behind the seat and inside the handle. The problem with this design is that it does not allow for the child behind the seat to also be seated in addition to not providing for a side-by-side seating arrangement.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,585,284 discloses a height adjustable rear seat for a tandem stroller where the seat height is adjusted by physically moving the seat platform connected to the handle uprights. This design suffers a number of drawbacks, such as the seat could fall while an infant was seated within the seat thereby injuring the child. Moreover, this design precludes the stroller from folding into a compact arrangement for easy transport and storage as well as the fact that it is impossible to convert the tandem stroller to a side-by-side stroller using the disclosed feature.
A significant deficiency with the previous developed stroller solutions, as well as many other similar devices, is that they do not provide for a stroller that is easily changed from a side-by-side to a front-to-back arrangement. Devices that are currently in the industry provide for double strollers with seat positioning to be either in a side-by-side arrangement or in a tandem arrangement.
Therefore, it can be seen that there is a long-felt need for a stroller which can quickly and easily convert from a side-by-side stroller to a tandem (or front-to-rear) stroller. The present invention satisfies the above-mentioned needs, as well as others, and overcomes the deficiencies in devices heretofore developed.